Folding screen



July 17, 1956 J. R. ATTKISSON 2,754,902

FOLDING SCREEN Filed March ll, 1955 2 Sheets-SheetI l July 17, 1956 J. R. ATTKlssoN 2,754,902

FOLDING SCREEN Filed March ll, 1955 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. Anas E. A-r-nc ssou mm wmv ATToz EYS UnitedA AStates Patent O FOLDING SCREEN l James R. Attkisson, Arlington, Va.

Application March 11, 1955, Serial'No. 493,698

3 Claims. (Cl. 160-136) This invention relates to screens, shades and doors and more specifically to collapsible screens' adapted to regulate and control the admission of light and air therethrough.

It is an object of this invention to provide a collapsible screen which may be employed as a folding door, a room divider, a dressing screen, windows, or window blinds which may be disposed either horizontally or vertically.

It is a further object of this invention to provide a folding screen which may be fabricated from a variety of materials depending upon the purpose to which the screen is to be put.

It is yet another object of this invention to provide a folding screen which may be so fabricated that it can entirely close an opening in which it is mounted s'o as to deny the admission of light and air therethrough for complete privacy, or it may be selectively adjusted to close the opening in which it is mounted to external viewing and yet allow the passage of air therethrough for Ventilation of the interior of the structure in which it is mounted.

It is another and still further object of this invention to provide a folding screen which may be so constructed as to present the appearance of a louvered or stepped design when closed, or may be made so as to have the panels thereof lie flush when the screen is in its closed position. Also, if the panels or louvered parts are made of glass and used horizontally on the exterior of abuilding, the louvers or panels when partially open will resemble the appearance of awning windows or jalousies but will possess the advantage over the conventional type of awning windows or jalousies in that the louver fold will allow for the complete opening of the space in which it is mounted for total ventilation of the interior of the room or building on which it is installed.

@ther objects and advantages will become apparent from a consideration of the following detailed description, forming the specification, and taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a flat elevational view of the folding screen embodying this invention as secured to a supporting surface shown in cross section;

Figure 2 is a transverse cross sectional View taken on the line 2 2 of Figure 1, and looking in the direction of the arrows;

Figure 3 is a cross sectional view taken on line 3-3 of Figure l, showing the screen in its closed position, and showing in broken lines the position of the folding screen when opened;

Figure 4 is a vertical cross sectional view taken on the line 4 4 of Figure l;

Figure 5 is a fragmentary perspective view of one end of the folding screen showing the means whereby the panels of the screen may be moved toward and away from each other;

Figure 6 is an exploded perspectivefview of a portion of the means whereby the panels may be moved. toward and away from each other;

Figure 7 is a cross sectional view similar to Figure 2,

Patented July 17, 1956 ICC but showing the foldable screen mounted in a different manner upon the framework of an opening;

Figure 8 is a fragmentary perspective view of a modied form of the panel members shown in their closed position;

Figure 9 is a still further modification of the panel members shown in their closed position, and shown in a fragmentary perspective View; and

Figure 10 is a fragmentary perspective view of a moditied form of the folding screen of this invention.

With continued reference to the drawings, and considering first that form of the folding screen shown in Figures l through 6, there is illustrated the opposite, spaced sides 10 and 12 of a frame, such as the frame about an opening between the rooms of a home or the frame of a window of a dwelling, which defines an opening to be closed by the folding screen, generally indicated at 14.

A pair of spaced apart mounting brackets 16 and 13 are secured to one of the frame sides 10, and each of the mounting brackets has a laterally projecting leg extending outwardly from the side 10 perpendicularly thereto and terminating at its free end in a pivot barrel 2i). A folding screen 14 includes a plurality of similar screen panels 22 which are of elongated rectangular form and may be fabricated of any type or combination of material such as wood, metal, suitable plastic material, cloth, glass, etc., depending upon the use to which the folding screen is to be put. In the present illustration, the screen panels are made of a hollow wood construction having an interior honeycomb, similar to the construction of the socalled flush doors. An attaching bar 24 made of a length of strap metal material and carrying hinge pin receiving barrels 26 and 28 at the opposite ends thereof is imbedded in a groove 30 provided in the opposite transverse end edges.

A pair of lazy-tongs, generally indicated at 32 and 34, are disposed at the opposite ends of the screen panels 22 and guided in their extending and contracting movements by means of pivot pins 36 projecting from the lazy-tongs in normal relation with the longitudinal axes of the levers 38 of the lazy-tongs, these pins serving as fulcrums of the lazy-tongs and engaging the upper surface of a wear plate 40 extending across the transverse and edge of the panels. The pivot pins 36 are received in registering barrels on the crossed levers 38 and passing therethrough. Thus, it will be seen that in the form of the folding screen illustrated in Figures 1 through 7, that the lazy-tongs levers are disposed with their narrow edges in adjoining relation so that the wider faces of the levers are disposed in parallel relation with the longitudinal extent of the panels 22.

Each of the levers 38 have formed at their opposite ends hinge barrels 42, with the hinge barrels of successive levers 38 being placed in coaxial alignment to receive therethrough removable pivot pins 44 which also enter the hinge barrels 26 and 28 formed at opposite ends of the attaching bar 24. Thus, the panels 22 are operatively connected to the lazy-tongs 32 and 34 at opposite ends thereof for movement therewith.

The endmost one of the lazy-tong levers 38 remote from the mounting brackets 16 and 18 in each of the lazytongs 32 and 34, and indicated by the reference numeral 46, has one-half of its length extending outwardly from the endmost one of the panels 22 remote from the mounting brackets 16 and 18. A longitudinally extending operating handle 48 extends between the hinge barrels formed on the end of the outwardly projecting portion 50 of the endmost levers 46 and secured thereto by any suitable means such as rivets or pins. Thus, the lazy- :tongs 32 and 34 may be manually moved in their extending and contracting` positions by the force applied to the operating handle 48.

The pair of wear plates 52 and 54 are carried by each of the panels 22 on their opposite transverse edges and are provided with transverse openings therethrough which register with the hinge barrels 42 of the levers 38 and the respective hinge barrels 26 and 28 so that the levers 38 will rest upon the upper surface of the wear plates S2 and 54 at the opposite ends thereof to avoid undue wear of the panel members at these points so that the wear plates 52 and 54, as well as the wear plate 40 define bearing surfaces for the levers of the lazy-tongs.

Thus, it will be apparent that since the end lever 56 of each of the lazy-tongs 32 and 34, remote from the other endmost lever 46 extends outwardly from the endmost adjacent panel 22 and are secured by suitable means in the pivot barrels of the mounting brackets 16 and 18, so that upon the application of force to the operating handle 48, the folding screen 14 may be moved from the broken line position, as shown in Figure 2, to the solid line position wherein the opening defined by the frame sides 10 and 12 will be closed. Also, upon partial movement of the operating handle 48, when the screen 14 is in the solid line position shown in Figure 2, the panels 22 may be disposed in spaced parallel relation so as to provide air and light passages through the screen while the screen is yet in substantial closing relation to the opening defined between the frame sides 10 and 12. This latter position is shown in broken lines in Figure 3.

The structure and function of the modification shown in Figure 7 is identical in all respects to the structure and function of the folding screen 14. The difference between the screen, generally indicated at 58, and the folding screen 14 is in the manner in which the screen is mounted upon the brackets 16 and 18. In the case of the folding screen 58, the endmost lever 60 of each of the lazy-tongs operatively connected thereto at opposite ends of the panels, is not secured to the mounting brackets 16 and 18 as is in the case in the structure of the folding screen 14 but rather the outer face of the endmost one of the screen panels, indicated at 62, remote from the operating handle 48 is secured to the mounting brackets so that the folding screen 58 is disposed, when in its closed position shown in full lines in Figure 7, with the panels extending transversely across the frame side 10 and projecting perpendicularly thereto. In the case of the folding screen 14, it will be observed that the panels are disposed in parallel relation to the frame side 10 when in the folded position shown in broken lines in Figure 2.

Thus, in the mounting shown in Figure 7, force applied to the operating handle 48 will cause the lazy-tongs to extend so that the panels of the screen 53 will extend across the opening defined between the sides 1t) and 12 of a frame member, and as shown in broken lines in Figure 7.

In Figure 8, the screen panels illustrated, and identified by the reference numeral 64, are of solid construction and provided along opposite longitudinal edges with rabbets 66 and 68, respectively, with the rabbets 66 and 68 opening or facing opposite faces of the panels 64. Thus, as the folding screens, of the construction as set forth in connection with the folding screen 16 and which may be mounted in either the manner shown in Figure 2 or Figure 7, will have the rabbets 66 and 68 moved into mating relation when the screen is moved into its extended closing position, in the manner illustrated in Figure 8, so that a fiush surface is presented.

ln Figure 9, there is shown a further modified form of the screen panels, in which each of these panels 70 is of solid material and of generally elongated rectangular form. Each of the panels 70 have integrally formed therewith along opposite longitudinal edges thereof a generally rectangular strip 72 and 74, respectively, which project outwardly therefrom and the strips 72 and 74 being disposed on opposite faces of the respective panels. A groove 76 is formed in the panel and extends longitudinally thereof as an undercut of the strip 74 and extends along the longitudinal edge thereof so that a portion of the strip 74 projectsbeyond the longitudinal edge of the panel 70. A similar groove 78 is formed in each of the panels 70 along the opposite longitudinal edges thereof, that is, the longitudinal edge remote from the edge along which the groove 76 and strip 74 extend, as in undercuts for the strip 72 to define a mating groove for the groove 76 of the next or subsequent panel 70 in the screen. Thus, when the screen, having panels 70, is moved to the closed position wherein the lazy-tongs are in their extended position, the grooves 76 and 78 of each of the panels will mate with the corresponding grooves on the next adjacent panel so as to provide a flush surface on both sides of the closed folding screen while the strips 74 extending along one side of the closed strips 72 extending longitudinally in the spaced parallel relation along the other side of the closed screen when the effect of the recessed panel door or closure extending across the opening defined by a building frame member and between the frame sides 10 and 12 thereof in closing relation thereto.

In the modified form of the folding panel shown in Figure l0, there is illustrated a folding screen, generally indicated at 80, which comprises a plurality of screen panels 82 of solid construction and generally rectangular elongated form. A lazy-tongs, generally indicated at 84, is shown as being provided along the top transverse edges of the panels 82 and interconnected therewith at the joined ends of the lazy-tong levers 86 being joined to the panels, and a similar lazy-tongs (not shown) along the opposite longitudinal edges of the panels 84 to work in unison with the lazy-tongs 84. it will be noted that the levers 86 of the lazy-tongs are disposed with fiat faces horizontally disposed with relation to the top transverse edge of the panels 82, and the lazy-tongs at the other end of the panels 82 being similarly disposed. As common in the lazy-tong construction the levers 86 are pivoted intermediate their ends to provide a fulcrum pivot bctween pairs of the levers so that they may be extended and contracted to place the folding screen in opening and closing relation across an opening defined by the sides of the frame member of a building structure.

A hollow, generally square channel 88 extends across the opening which the folding screen 80 may be moved into and out of closing relation, and is provided with an ear 90 outstanding at either end thereof for attachment to the supporting surface, normally the frame sides of the opening in which the screen 80 is to be disposed, so that the channel extends transversely thereacross. The bottom wall 92 of the channel 88 is provided with a longitudinally extending slot 94 extending thereacross. An L-shaped bracket 96 is mounted at the fulcrumed pivot on the endmost one of the panels 82 remote from the supporting surface 98 to which the one end 99 of the channel 88 is secured. The upstanding leg 100 of the bracket 96 rotatably carries adjacent its free end a roller 102 with the leg 100 disposed in the slot 94 so that the roller 102 will ride on the inner surface of the bottom wall 92 of the channel 88 so that the channel will define a support and guide rail for the folding screen 80. Other brackets and rollers supported thereon, similar to the bracket 96 and the roller 102 carried thereon, may be provided at other points intermediate the length of the folding screen 80 and disposed within the channel 88.

The panel 82 at the end of the screen 80 remote from the end panel which carries the bracket 96, carries thereon a similar L-shaped bracket 104, the upstanding leg 106 of which carries thereon, adjacent its free end, a laterally projecting pin 108, with the leg disposed to extend through the slot 94 in the channel S8. The pin 108 extends through a closed elongated slot 110 provided in the side wall 112 of the channel 88. The purpose of the pin and slot arrangement adjacent the end 99 of the channel 88, is to provide for the movement of the folding screen 80, as it is moved into closing and opening relation to the opening across which it extends and allow for the longitudinal displacement occurring during this movement as well as to assist in guiding the individual panels in their movement in response to the movement of the lazy-tongs secured thereto.

It will be noted that in the form of the building screen as shown in Figures 1 through 9, that a guide and support channel, similar to the channel 88, is not necessary since the edge-to-edge relation of the levers 38 of the lazy-tongs linkage 32 and 34 will provide the rigidity necessary to maintain the panels in their extended edgeto-edge relation without sagging.

In connection with the form of the invention shown in Figure l0, it will be noted that an operating handle 48', similar to the handle 48, is carried by and extends between the lazy-tong linkages connecting the panels 82 together along their opposite ends.

While there is shown and described the preferred embodiment of the invention, it is to be understood that the structure is susceptible to change and modification within the practicability of the invention and therefore should be limited only by the scope of the claims appended hereto.

What is claimed is:

l. A folding screen comprising, in combination with a frame dening an opening to be closed by the screen, a plurality of elongated panels, an attaching plate mounted in the opposite transverse ends of each of said panels to extend between the side edges of the panel, means operatively connected to said attaching plates so as to be disposed at opposite ends of said panels for connecting the panels together to permit their movement from an extended edge-to-edge relation to a folded face-to-face position at one edge of the opening and vice versa, said connecting means comprising a lazy-tong linkage at opposite ends of said panels and having pivotally connected pairs of cross levers arranged in superimposed edge-to-edge relation, said attaching plates having a hinge pin receiving barrel formed at opposite ends thereof, each of said levers having a hinge pin receiving barrel formed at opposite ends thereof, a hinge pin extending through the hinge pin receiving barrels of the levers for pivotally connecting the levers of the lazy-tong linkage and extending into said hinge pin receiving barrels on said attaching plates to pivotally connect the panels to said linkage, and a wearing plate disposed between said lazy-tong levers and the adjacent edge of each of the said members to provide a bearing surface for the levers.

2. A folding screen comprising, in combination with a frame defining an opening to be closed by the screen, a plurality of elongated panels, an attaching plate mounted in the opposite transverse ends of each of said panels to extend between the side edges of the panel, means operatively connected to said attaching plates so as to be disposed at opposite ends of said panels for connecting the panels together to permit their movement from an extended edge-to-edge relation to a folded face-to-face position at one edge of the opening and vice versa, said connecting means comprising a lazy-tong linkage at opposite ends of said panels and having pivotally connected pairs of cross levers arranged in superimposed edge-toedge relation, said attaching plates having a hinge pin receiving barrel formed at opposite ends thereof, each of said levers having a hinge pin receiving barrel formed at opposite ends thereof, a hinge pin extending through the hinge pin receiving barrels of the levers for pivotally connecting the levers of the lazy-tong linkage and extending into said hinge pin receiving barrels on said attaching plates to pivotally connect the panels to said linkage, and a wearing plate disposed between said lazy-tong levers and the adjacent edge of each of the said members to provide a bearing surface for the levers, each of said panels having `strips extending along opposite longitudinal edges thereof and projecting outwardly from opposite faces of the panel, said panels having oppositely disposed longitudinally extending grooves at said opposite edges to dene an undercut for said strips, said grooves adapted to meet when said screen is moved into its extended position to provide a recessed panel effect on opposite sides of said screen with the panels arranged substantially coplanar.

3. A folding screen comprising, in combination with a frame defining an opening to be closed by the screen, a plurality of elongated panels, an attaching plate mounted in the opposite transverse ends of each of said panels to extend between the side edges of the panel, means operatively connected to said attaching plates so as to be disposed at opposite ends of said panels for connecting the panels together to permit their movement from an extended edge-to-edge relation to a folded face-to-face position at one edge of the opening and vice versa, said connecting means comprising a lazy-tong linkage at opposite ends of said panels and having pivotally connected pairs of cross levers arranged in superimposed edge-toedge relation, said attaching plates having a hinge pin receiving barrel formed at opposite ends thereof, each of said levers having a hinge pin receiving barrel formed at opposite ends thereof, a hinge pin extending through the hinge pin receiving barrels of the levers for pivotally connecting the levers of the lazy-tong linkage and extending into said hinge pin receiving barrels on said attaching plates to pivotally connect the panels to said linkage, and a wearing plate disposed between said lazytong levers and the adjacent edge of each of said members to provide a bearing surface for the levers, each of said panels having a rabbet along opposite longitudinal edges and opening to opposite faces thereof, said rabbets adapted to mate when said screen is in its extended position to provide continuous ush surfaces on opposite sides of said screen.

References Cited in the tile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,708,636 Shook Apr. 9, 1929 2,135,647 Streby Nov. 8, 1938 2,577,884 Garubo Dec. 1l, 1951 

